Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research		 BILL
ANALYSIS
Housing Committee

SSB 5524

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Addressing the restriction of mobile home or manufactured home locations.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Consumer Protection & Housing (originally sponsored by Senators Berkey, Schoesler, Fairley and Roach).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Prohibits cities, code cities, towns, and counties from restricting the location of mobile and manufactured homes based exclusively on age and dimension criteria. However, this prohibition applies only in mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities in existence before the enactment date of this act.

Hearing Date: 2/21/08

Staff: Robyn Dupuis (786-7166).

Background:

Under the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act, owners of manufactured and mobile home communities are prohibited from preventing the entry of a manufactured or mobile home for the sole reason that the home has reached a certain age (RCW 59.20.070). Homes may be excluded or expelled for other reasons including failure to comply with fire, safety, and other provisions of local ordinances and state laws.

Current statutes (RCW 35.21.684, 35A.21.312 and 36.01.225) state that beginning July 1, 2005, a city, town, code city, or county, respectively, may not enact any statute or ordinance that has the effect of discriminating against consumers' choices in the placement or use of a home in such a manner that is not equally applicable to all homes. However, the law also allows municipalities to require that manufactured homes be new and that the homes comply with all local design standards applicable to all other homes in the neighborhood within which the home is to be located.

Summary of Bill:

Local governments are prohibited from restricting the location of mobile or manufactured homes based exclusively on the age or dimensions of the mobile or manufactured home. However, this prohibition applies only in mobile home parks or manufactured housing communities which were legally in existence before the effective date of this act.

Current statutes (RCW 25.21.684, 35A.21.312 and 36.01.225), which allow jurisdictions to place age and design criteria on manufactured housing, apply only to housing to be sited in new mobile home parks or manufactured housing communities, or to be sited outside of mobile home parks and manufactured home communities.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.